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Paying rent to your parents

Koldo

Outstanding Member
As a brazilian, one thing I find reallllly weird about American culture is the concept of paying rent to your parents once you hit 18 years old. How commonplace is this?

Does anybody else also find this weird?

Of course one should help paying the bills, but literally paying a monthly rent to keep living with your parents is completely alien to brazilian culture.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
As a brazilian, one thing I find reallllly weird about American culture is the concept of paying rent to your parents once you hit 18 years old. How commonplace is this?

Does anybody else also find this weird?

Of course one should help paying the bills, but literally paying a monthly rent to keep living with your parents is completely alien to brazilian culture.

It does seem odd to me too.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
As a brazilian, one thing I find reallllly weird about American culture is the concept of paying rent to your parents once you hit 18 years old. How commonplace is this?

Does anybody else also find this weird?

Of course one should help paying the bills, but literally paying a monthly rent to keep living with your parents is completely alien to brazilian culture.

We charged our kid's some rent once they were working. As time passed, that rent increased. As long as they were attending school, we didn't. It's all about giving them a sense of responsibility. If not, there is a distinct possibility that they will sponge off you forever. Hence we have 40 year old irresponsible adults living off their parents. All part of teaching them independence.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
As a brazilian, one thing I find reallllly weird about American culture is the concept of paying rent to your parents once you hit 18 years old. How commonplace is this?

Does anybody else also find this weird?

Of course one should help paying the bills, but literally paying a monthly rent to keep living with your parents is completely alien to brazilian culture.
My parents tried. I raised up a stink because I had no job to even pay rent. But I suppose in hindsight, it was a clever motivation for me to get a job promptly, and once I did, I asked myself why would I want to live with my parents?

I was actually out of the nest when my love of my life wanted to shack up together, and the rest is wonderful history.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
As a brazilian, one thing I find reallllly weird about American culture is the concept of paying rent to your parents once you hit 18 years old. How commonplace is this?

Does anybody else also find this weird?

Of course one should help paying the bills, but literally paying a monthly rent to keep living with your parents is completely alien to brazilian culture.
I did that when I still lived at home where my parents lived. But only at times when I had paid work. To me it was natural to do so.
 

Koldo

Outstanding Member
We charged our kid's some rent once they were working. As time passed, that rent increased. As long as they were attending school, we didn't. It's all about giving them a sense of responsibility. If not, there is a distinct possibility that they will sponge off you forever. Hence we have 40 year old irresponsible adults living off their parents. All part of teaching them independence.

But why charge rent as if they were a stranger to you?

Why not make them responsible for the eletricity bill, for example?
 

Koldo

Outstanding Member
My parents tried. I raised up a stink because I had no job to even pay rent. But I suppose in hindsight, it was a clever motivation for me to get a job promptly, and once I did, I asked myself why would I want to live with my parents?

I was actually out of the nest when my love of my life wanted to shack up together, and the rest is wonderful history.

That's quite the thing, isn't it?
Your parents don't cease to be your parents once you turn 18. Depending on the ammount, the parents are actually subtly asking their children to move out.
 

Sirona

Hindu Wannabe
As a brazilian, one thing I find reallllly weird about American culture is the concept of paying rent to your parents once you hit 18 years old. How commonplace is this?

Does anybody else also find this weird?

Of course one should help paying the bills, but literally paying a monthly rent to keep living with your parents is completely alien to brazilian culture.

This practice also exists in Germany. It is called "Kostgeld", which is something like bed and board. It doesn't have to cover the actual costs, but it is about the principle of taking responsibility.

Found this:

A majority of young adults in the U.S. live with their parents for the first time since the Great Depression

In Germany, more than a quarter of all people aged 25 lived with their parents in 2019. Men (34 %) are tolerated longer than women (21%).
 

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
As a brazilian, one thing I find reallllly weird about American culture is the concept of paying rent to your parents once you hit 18 years old. How commonplace is this?

Does anybody else also find this weird?

Of course one should help paying the bills, but literally paying a monthly rent to keep living with your parents is completely alien to brazilian culture.
My sister paid rent to my parents for a while, but it was a weird situation:

When my aunt died, my mom inherited my aunt's condo in Toronto. My parents started cleaning it up and trying to decide what to do with it... leaning toward selling it.

Then my sister (who was going to university not too far from the condo) asked if my parents could hold off on selling it for a few years, and instead pay rent to stay there. My parents agreed.

A few years later, my sister graduated and got a job in another area, so she moved out and the condo was sold.

My parents never charged my sister or me rent for living in our family home.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Many cultures have a history of extended families living and working together in patriarchal family clans. Females would leave and join their husband's family clan, but the males stayed to earn their place in the clan's hierarchy. The family compound was 'owned' by the whole clan, and the assets and liabilities were a shared responsibility. The idea of charging anyone 'rent' to live in their own family compound would have been very foreign.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I discussed it with them, and come to agreement of amount that was ok to pay, so the first year i paied 2500 NOK or 270 USD a month.
The problem is there needs to be a revision of house rules if one starts to pay rent. Like no curfews, household chores, etc.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
The problem is there needs to be a revision of house rules if one starts to pay rent. Like no curfews, household chores, etc.
I payed a rent because at that time the inurance was on my fathers name, I payed also in the rent for food. To me it was fully normal
 

Koldo

Outstanding Member
My sister paid rent to my parents for a while, but it was a weird situation:

When my aunt died, my mom inherited my aunt's condo in Toronto. My parents started cleaning it up and trying to decide what to do with it... leaning toward selling it.

Then my sister (who was going to university not too far from the condo) asked if my parents could hold off on selling it for a few years, and instead pay rent to stay there. My parents agreed.

A few years later, my sister graduated and got a job in another area, so she moved out and the condo was sold.

My parents never charged my sister or me rent for living in our family home.

Sounds like a reasonable agreement to me.
 

Koldo

Outstanding Member
This practice also exists in Germany. It is called "Kostgeld", which is something like bed and board. It doesn't have to cover the actual costs, but it is about the principle of taking responsibility.

Found this:

A majority of young adults in the U.S. live with their parents for the first time since the Great Depression

In Germany, more than a quarter of all people aged 25 lived with their parents in 2019. Men (34 %) are tolerated longer than women (21%).

Can't you learn to be responsible by being responsible for the eletricity bill, for example?
What's up with asking for money?
 
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